Thursday, May 8, 2008

More Freedom

Catherine Burks

Many thanks to those who e-mailed with additional information on the Freedom Riders pictures. As Eric Etheridge pointed out in his e-mail, “I think the Mississippi Freedom Rider mugshots are a great addition to the Civil Rights visual record, especially given their provenance (they were collected and filed by the state agency dedicated to thwarting the Civil Rights movement.)”

And thanks to Frank Ezelle for providing the correct link (it’s hard to find) to where the The Mississippi Department of Archives and History keeps the full visual record of these mugshots.

I have made another selection of some of the pictures I felt were the most interesting as I can't keep from feeling what a beautiful portrait of America they make!

Finally, for those interested in attending the book launch for Eric Etheridge’s book Breach of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Riders, it will be at the Steven Kasher Gallery at 521 West 23rd Street, New York City. Wednesday, May 21. 6 – 8 pm.

Wow, this is really quite amazing. I mean, you have people from all walks of life there, from priest, to white collar worker, all united under the same goal that is equality to all. The notion is at the very least moving, and at best, a harsh reminder of how our world once (and still arguably does) work.

I'm always interested in knowing the denouement for these people after their mug shots...in other words, their lives...thanks for reminding us about these pioneers--the pictures are in many cases the high points in their lives. I recommend "The Children" by David Halberstam for a life portrait of the participants in the first Sit-In at a Nashville lunch counter.

Amazing, just amazing. Very, very moving. It's difficult to imagine another generation being politically active, so it's definitely inspiriting to us (as the younger generation) to get out there and have our voices heard!

For those interested in reading and seeing more, I am publishing material I did not have room for in the book -- more oral history from the Riders, more archival images, newspaper stories and government documents -- at http://breachofpeace.com

Many years ago I worked as a cop and was always amazed at how a mug shot seemed to get the eyes and the soul of a person. I still have some of them. Mostly the scary ones.

It's odd thinking about the Dove campaign and so much written about how a photo can be manipulated. These are not. And what power they have. Add to that, these people are all heros and stood for something despite going to jail and the fear of worse.

"If only all blogs were as life-affirming and tender-hearted as that of gallerist James Danziger. Whether his focus falls on the work of an individual artist or a particular theme, The Year in Pictures is compulsive reading."